City comparison
Atlantic City, NJ vs Seattle, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Seattle, WA are 12.4% higher than in Atlantic City, NJ. Someone earning $100,000 in Atlantic City, NJ would need about $112,400 in Seattle, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,146 a month in Seattle, WA versus $1,537 in Atlantic City, NJ. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Seattle, WA and 25% in Atlantic City, NJ.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,180 a year higher in Atlantic City, NJ than in Seattle, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.0% moving from Atlantic City, NJ to Seattle, WA ($117,284 → $119,630), while prices change by +12.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.3% in real buying power.
- Atlantic City, NJ: price level 98.9 (about average)
- Seattle, WA: price level 111.1 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Atlantic City, NJ | Seattle, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.9 | 111.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $112,418 in Seattle | $88,954 in Atlantic City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,537/mo | $2,146/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,000 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,180 (NJ) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,520 | $72,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ HUD Metro FMR Area and Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ and Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlantic City | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 98.7 | 151.3 |
| Goods | 99.8 | 104.0 |
| Utilities | 109.2 | 92.8 |
| Other services | 97.9 | 106.8 |
| Overall | 98.9 | 111.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlantic City, NJ → Seattle, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.0%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax −$4,180/yr.
26 Weak offer
Seattle, WA → Atlantic City, NJ
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.4%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$4,180/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlantic City, NJ is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Seattle, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlantic City, NJ to Seattle, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlantic City, NJ | Seattle, WA | Real change, Atlantic City → Seattle |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $69,373 | −9.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $83,935 | −9.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $100,602 | −9.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $119,630 | −9.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $141,367 | −9.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlantic City, NJ | Seattle, WA | Seattle pay in Atlantic City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,480 | $102,920 | $91,551 (+13.8%) |
| Software Developers | $126,670 | $167,280 | $148,802 (+17.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,040 | $99,370 | $88,393 (+6.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,320 | $128,260 | $114,092 (+14.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.